Essential Ingredients for Easy Dinners

There is a big push within the world of food blogs and highly organized adults to plan out meals in advance. Word on the street is that it can save you time, money, and shopping trips and can relieve the pressure of deciding what to make when you arrive home to an empty fridge with only 30 minutes until your stomach begins eating you alive out of starvation.

I can see the appeal, particularly if you are cooking for a busy family with a rigid schedule and picky eaters who have very specific food preferences. However, as soon as I plan out something as basic as meals, I feel constricted and as though I’ve lost my creative license. I know this sounds overly dramatic but as someone who looks forward to spending time in the kitchen and craves variety in my meals, it is very important that it remains enjoyable.

Luckily I only have to worry about cooking for myself so I get to make the rules!

I like to cook quick meals on the fly with whatever I have in the fridge and pantry so I work to always have a well-stocked pantry and fridge. Here are some essentials I like to have on hand for delicious, exciting, and quick lunches and dinners.

Check back next week for outlines of some of my favorite go-to recipes using these staples!

• Fresh foods
  • Eggs
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Assorted vegetables
    • some of my favorites are sweet potato, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, and green beans
  • Parmesan cheese
    • the real stuff, or as close to it as possible, and if you buy a block rather than pre-grated then it will last longer in your fridge and you don’t have to worry that you might be paying for additives that are often found in pre-grated cheese to bulk it up.
• Frozen foods
  • Peas
    • These defrost so quickly that they are easy to toss into whatever dish you are making for added color and nutrients.
  • Spinach
    • I just discovered that I can buy frozen spinach that is not in one big block. It’s so much easier to grab a handful of spinach to throw into my pan rather than having to defrost an entire 1 pound block for a one-person meal.
  • Udon noodles
    • they last for many months and only need to cook a few seconds in boiling water. The ones that I buy even come in individually wrapped servings! Perfect for cooking for one!
• Pantry
  • Canned beans
    • although dried beans are even cheaper and allow you to more closely monitor the amount of sodium and any other additives, they take hours to cook so canned are particularly convenient for quick weeknight suppers
    • Don’t get me wrong though, I’ve been OBSESSED with my dried Domingo Rojo heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo. Give them a try!
  • Dried pasta
    • I ideally like to have both a long and short option on hand but any shape will do
  • Rice
    • brown, white, short, long, whatever floats your boat
  • Rice noodles
  • Peanuts
    • easy burst of protein and crunch
  • Brown sugar
    • more complex flavor than white
• Condiments
  • Soy sauce or tamari
    • go low-sodium on this one for sure. I find the regular versions way too salty.
  • Fresh chili paste, sriracha, or gochujang (or all 3!)
  • Fish sauce
    • I know it sounds scary but it is the secret ingredient in Thai and Vietnamese cooking
  • Tamarind paste or fresh limes
    • tamarind paste lasts a long time in the fridge and adds a uniquely clean sour flavor to any Southeast Asian inspired dish, particularly Pad Thai
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
    • unsalted and salted – each has its time and place
  • Stock base or liquid stock
    • I keep low-sodium chicken and vegetable around

 

What do you ALWAYS have to have on hand?

Do you like to plan out your meals ahead of time or cook on the fly?